No abstract available.
Dermoscopy* ; Diagnosis* ; Larva Migrans

No abstract available.
Dermoscopy* ; Diagnosis* ; Larva Migrans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar ; Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris ; Pityriasis ; Siblings

Kinship testing in forensic casework is largely based on a likelihood ratio (LR) approach with short tandem repeat (STR) markers; however, in order to efficiently identify potential relatives in a specific population, the threshold values for kinship prediction should be determined by analyzing the kinship index distributions of the population in question. In this study, 250,000 DNA profiles were simulated using allele frequencies at 20 autosomal STR loci in Koreans, then the LRs were calculated for true close relatives and unrelated pairs. The LR distributions in related and unrelated pairs under a given relationship were compared in 2 sets of 13 Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and 20 STR profiles. Using 13 CODIS STRs, true relatives in parent/child and full-sibling relationships were sufficiently discriminated from unrelated pairs with LR thresholds of 1,000 and 100, respectively. However, the CODIS STRs lacked the discriminatory power to differentiate between related and unrelated pairs in uncle/nephew and first cousin relationships due to high false-positive and false-negative rates with a LR threshold of 10. Increasing the number of STR loci to 20 increased discrimination of close relatives, but high false results remained in uncle/nephew and first cousin relationships. The kinship index data from this study will help make decisions on various kinship testing and familial searching in Koreans.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; DNA ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats

OBJECTIVES: Hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex play a part in learning and memory. This study sought to investigate the change of cell-death controlling factors in the hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex of aged rats. METHODS: Ten aged rats and ten controls were studied. We performed immunocytochemical method using antibodies against NOS, VIP, c-fos , bcl-2, bax and p53 and in situ hybridization. RESULTS: 1) The number of nNOS-immunoreactive(IR) neurons in the entorhinal cortex was significantly decreased in the aged rats(>30%). Morphologically, the number of dendritic branches seemed to be decreased and the length of dendrites showed a tendency to by shortened in the aged group. A major loss of nNOS mRNA positive neurons was observed in the hippocampal formation of the aged rats(>30%). 2) VIP-IR neurons were predominantly bipolar cell. VIP-IR cells were mildly decreased in the hippocampus and subiculum(<15%), and moderately decreased in the dentate gyrus and entorhinal cortex of the aged rats(15-30%). The number and length of dendritic branches also appeared to have decreased and shortened in the aged group. 3) c-Fos immunoreactivity at cellular level was restricted only to the nucleus. c-Fos-IR nuclei were moderately decreased in the hippocampus(15-30%), and severely decreased in dentate gyrus, subiculum and entorhinal cortex of the aged rats(>30%). 4) Bcl-2 mRNA positive neurons were moderately decreased in the hippocampus, subiculum and entorhinal cortex(15-30%), and severely decreased in dentate gyrus of the aged rats(>30%). 5) Bax-IR neurons were similarly distributed between the control and the aged rats, but bax-IR neurons of the aged group, as compared to the control group, were weakly immunostained. 6) P53-IR neurons were only observed in hippocampal CA1 region of the aged rats. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the involvement of neuronal system containing NOS, VIP, c-fos, bcl-2 and p53 in the brain aging process, and provide the morphological evidence for the changes in immunoreactivity of cell-death controlling factors in the hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex of aged rats.
Aging ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Brain ; CA1 Region, Hippocampal ; Dendrites ; Dentate Gyrus ; Entorhinal Cortex* ; Hippocampus* ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Learning ; Memory ; Neurons ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger

The purpose of the present study lied in examining the incidence, treatment and failure causes of peri-implantitis by analyzing medical charts of those patients who underwent implant placement for the past 2 years. The subjects included those patients who underwent implant placement at the present hospital from January 2001 to December 2002. 3i implants were used for the analysis for the comparison of significance. A total of 301 patients were examined, among whom 102 were females and 199, males. Implants were placed in a total of 578 cases. The number of peri-implantitis was present in a total of 29 cases (21 males and 8 females), giving the incidence at 9.6%. The evidence of peri-implantitis was seen in 60 cases, which was in 10.4% of the patients. Among those cases with peri-implantitis, 28 cases (47%) underwent bone graft and 22 cases (43%) underwent maxillary sinus lift. Furthermore, 4 of these patients had systemic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. Regular management is important for the preven ion of peri-implantitis. In other words, early prevention through regular follow-ups to check the status of surrounding soft tissue would be needed to maintain implants.
Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; Peri-Implantitis* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Transplants

OBJECTS: This study was purposed to investigate the relationship between urine HVA and 5-HIAA concentrations and clinical symptoms in chronic schizophrenia. METHODS: 272 patients with chronic schizophrenia, diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria, were performed to measure urine HVA and 5-HIAA concentrations and to evaluate the clinical symptoms by using BPRS, PANSS, YBOCS and HAM-D. RESULTS: Urine HVA and 5-HIAA concentrations showed significant correlation with BPRS, positive scale, negative scale and general psychopathology in PANSS and urine HVA/5-HIAA ratios found no significant correlation. Urine HVA concentrations showed significant correlattion with urine 5-HIAA concentrations and urine HVA/5-HIAA ratios had a negative correlation with urine 5-HIAA concentration. As a result of stepwise multiple regression, urine HVA concentrations were significantly correlated with BPRS and positive scale in PANSS and Urine 5-HIAA concentrations were significantly correlated with BPRS. Urine HVA/5-HIAA ratios had significant correlation with HAM-D and BPRS. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that the role of central dopamine and serotonin system and the functional interaction of both neurotransmitters are important to clinical symptom formation of chronic schizophrenia.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Dopamine ; Humans ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid* ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia* ; Serotonin

Morphometry of nuclei of the benign and malignant prostatic lesions was performed to study the relationship between nuclear size and shape and the prognosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Fifty one cases of prostatic adenocarcinoma and 13 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia were included to evaluate area, perimeter, Dmax, Dmin, and 5 form factors of the nuclei by image analyzer (Zeiss Ibas 2000) using hematoxylin-eosin stained slides. All analytic factors of nuclear size and shape were significantly different between benign lesions and adenocarcinomas. Increased nuclear size was associated with nu- clear irregularity, presence of metastasis, advanced clinical stage, and high Gleason's grade and score of prostatic adenocarcinoma. On Kaplan-Meier method, survival was decreased with older age, no hormonal treatment, stage D, high Gleason's grade and stage as well as with larger size and irregular shape of the nuclei. In conclusion, morphometry of nuclei of the prostate can be a helpful tool to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions. Nuclear morphology is thought to be associated with prognosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Fibroadenoma ; Hepatitis B e Antigens* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia

The hemostatic effect of endoscopic microwave coagulation method for upper gastrointestinal bleeding was evaluated clinically. Hemostasis over 72 hours was achieved in 18 of 20 cases (90%) with upper gastrointestinal bleeding by the endoscopic microwave coagulation method. It is noteworthy that this method was effective in all 4 cases of pulsatile bleeding from exposed vessels. We conclude that this method is useful for emergency endoscopic hemostasis on upper gastrointestinal bleeding, especially bleeding from exposed vessels.
Emergencies ; Hemorrhage* ; Hemostasis ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Microwaves*

Inorganic lead and mercury are widely spread xenobiotic neurotoxicants threatening public health. The exposure to inorganic lead and mercury results in adverse effects of poisoning including IQ deficit and peripheral neuropathy. Additionally, inorganic neurotoxicants have even more serious impact on earlier stages of embryonic development. This study was therefore initiated in order to determine the cytotoxic effects of lead and mercury in earlier developmental stages of chick embryo. Administration of inorganic lead and mercury into the chick embryo resulted in the prolonged accumulation of inorganics in the neonatal brain, with detrimental cytotoxicity on neuronal cells. Subsequent studies demonstrated that exposure of chick embryo to inorganic lead and mercury resulted in the reorganization of cytoskeletal proteins in the neonatal brain. These results therefore suggest that inorganics-mediated cytoskeletal reorganization of the structural proteins, resulting in neurocytotoxicity, is one of the underlying mechanisms by which inorganics transfer deleterious effects on central nervous system.
Animals ; Brain ; Cell Death ; Central Nervous System ; Chick Embryo ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Neurons ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Pregnancy ; Proteins ; Public Health ; Tubulin